A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government and a term usually used by governments to refer to entities that have no government status. In the cases in which NGOs are funded totally or partially by governments, the NGO maintains its non-governmental status by excluding government representatives from membership in the organization. The term is usually applied only to organizations that pursue some wider social aim that has political aspects, but that are not overtly political organizations such as political parties. Unlike the term "intergovernmental organization", the term "non-governmental organization" has no generally agreed legal definition. In many jurisdictions, these types of organization are called "civil society organizations" or referred to by other names.   The number of internationally operating NGOs is estimated at 40,000.[1] National numbers are even higher. India is estimated to have around 1-2 million NGOs.   Source wiki

NGO type can be understood by orientation and level of co-operation.

NGO type by orientation

* Charitable orientation;

* Service orientation;

* Participatory orientation;

* Empowering orientation;

NGO type by level of co-operation

* Community- Based Organisation;

* City Wide Organisation;

* National NGOs;

* International NGOs;

Apart from "NGO", often alternative terms are used as for example: independent sector, volunteer sector, civil society, grassroots organizations, transnational social movement organizations, private voluntary organizations, self-help organizations and non-state actors (NSA's). Non-governmental organizations are a heterogeneous group.

A long list of acronyms has developed around the term "NGO". These include:

* BINGO, short for business-friendly international NGO or big international NGO;

* CITS, helping scientific community by motivating young talent towards research & development

* CSO, short for civil society organization;

* DONGO: Donor Organized NGO;

* ENGO: short for environmental NGO, such as Greenpeace and WWF

* GONGOs are government-operated NGOs, which may have been set up by governments to look like NGOs in order to qualify for outside aid or promote the interests of the government in question;

* INGO stands for international NGO; Oxfam is an international NGO;

* QUANGOs are quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). (The ISO is actually not purely an NGO, since its membership is by nation, and each nation is represented by what the ISO Council determines to be the 'most broadly representative' standardization body of a nation. That body might itself be a nongovernmental organization; for example, the United States is represented in ISO by the American National Standards Institute, which is independent of the federal government. However, other countries can be represented by national governmental agencies; this is the trend in Europe.)

* TANGO: short for technical assistance NGO;

* GSO: Grassroots Support Organization

* MANGO: short for market advocacy NGO

* CHARDS:Community Health and Rural Development Society There are also numerous classifications of NGOs.

The typology the World Bank uses divides them into Operational and Advocacy: The primary purpose of an operational NGO is the design and implementation of development-related projects. One frequently used categorization is the division into relief-oriented versus development-oriented organizations; they can also be classified according to whether they stress service delivery or participation; or whether they are religious or secular; and whether they are more public or private-oriented. Operational NGOs can be community-based, national or international. The primary purpose of an Advocacy NGO is to defend or promote a specific cause. As opposed to operational project management, these organizations typically try to raise awareness, acceptance and knowledge by lobbying, press work and activist events. USAID refers to NGOs as private voluntary organisations. However many scholars have argued that this definition is highly problematic as many NGOs are in fact state and corporate funded and managed projects with professional staff. NGOs exist for a variety of reasons, usually to further the political or social goals of their members or funders. Examples include improving the state of the natural environment, encouraging the observance of human rights, improving the welfare of the disadvantaged, or representing a corporate agenda. However, there are a huge number of such organizations and their goals cover a broad range of political and philosophical positions. This can also easily be applied to private schools and athletic organizations. The number of internationally operating NGOs is estimated at 40,000. National numbers are even higher. India is estimated to have between 1 million and 2 million NGOs.   Source wiki